COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus drivers could soon see significant changes in how parking tickets are issued and paid under a proposal discussed Tuesday by the Columbus City Council.
During a public hearing, council members reviewed a plan to update the city’s parking code by adding new violations, introducing tiered fines and extending the time drivers have to respond to tickets. City leaders said the goal is to improve safety and mobility, and to prepare for future transit projects.
“There are several thousand residents in the city of Columbus that owe literally millions in parking infractions,” Councilmember Lourdes Barroso de Padilla said. She is leading the effort to modernize the parking code.
The proposed changes include new violations for parking in bus lanes and bike lanes, as well as for parking too close to or within crosswalks. Barroso de Padilla said these changes are intended to make streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians.
“What you’re going to see is some new infractions around parking in a bus lane, parking in a bike lane… when cars park in them, it doesn’t make them safe or usable for our cyclists,” Barroso de Padilla said. “Parking too close or in the middle of a crosswalk impedes a pedestrian’s ability to cross the street.”
The proposal would overhaul the city’s ticketing structure, with a focus on safety-related violations in areas the city says must remain clear as Columbus expands its transportation options.
“Making this decision before LinkUS happens is really important because it helps set the expectations of community members,” said Aslyne Rodriguez, senior director of regional strategic partnerships at the Central Ohio Transit Authority. “This is what we need for you to do in order to help us build a future of a rapid transit corridor.”
Penalties would also increase for some existing violations, such as parking in handicapped spaces or failing to display valid registration. A key change is the introduction of a tiered payment system. Currently, drivers have 10 days to respond to a ticket, with fees increasing quickly.
“If you’re like me, sometimes I see that ticket, I throw it in my purse and I change the purse and never see it again until the fee goes up, and now that parking ticket is $100 or more,” Barroso de Padilla said.
Under the new system, drivers would have 30 days to pay or contest a ticket. Those who pay within a certain time frame would pay a lower fee.
“That’s a gesture at understanding that clearly we have an issue if there’s folks who are going with unpaid tickets, so how do we begin to address that issue?” Barroso de Padilla said.
The changes are intended to help drivers avoid accumulating penalties, especially downtown, where visitors may be unfamiliar with parking rules.
“I know that we have not made people real happy with some of the changes that we made around safety,” Barroso de Padilla said. “Folks may not love bike lanes. Folks may not love some of the things that we’re putting in, but there are a lot of people that do. We need to ensure that, as a city, we are meeting the community where they are and giving them different options.”
City leaders said the changes could reduce congestion, support business turnover, encourage walking and transit use, and improve overall safety.
City Council is scheduled to vote on the proposal during its second reading Dec. 15. If approved, the changes would take effect in January, with new citation rates beginning in April.